“Mighty” Mike Quinn, the professional bodybuilding star from the 1980s, has died at the age of 61. Quinn’s sister, Kellie, confirmed his passing in a Facebook post on May 30, 2023. The post didn’t include when Quinn died but said it was after suffering from an undisclosed illness.
According to Muscle Memory, Quinn was born on Nov. 18, 1961. He made his bodybuilding debut at the 1981 AAU Mr. America, where he won the overall Teen title and placed 10th in the heavyweight class. Quinn began competing at the national amateur level one year later and earned his IFBB pro card by winning the 1987 NPC USA overall championship. He made his pro debut that same year, placing fourth in the Detroit Pro Championships.
View this post on Instagram
Quinn competed 10 times in 1988. He placed in the top seven in all of those shows, culminating with a sixth-place finish in his first Mr. Olympia contest. Lee Haney won that show, marking his fifth of eight Sandow trophies.
Quinn returned to the Olympia in both 1989 and 1990, placing seventh and 11th in those years, respectively. Even though he never won a pro show, Quinn appeared frequently on magazine covers and developed an international fanbase.
In 1991, several bodybuilding stars, including Quinn, left the IFBB for Vince McMahon’s World Bodybuilding Federation. Quinn only competed in one show under the WBF banner — a 12th-place finish at the WBF Grand Prix. The company folded within one year, and Quinn applied to return to the IFBB.
View this post on Instagram
Quinn appeared again on an IFBB stage in 1993, placing outside the top 15 at the Night of Champions. He improved to fifth place at the 1994 Night of Champions and appeared in his final Mr. Olympia appearance that year, finishing outside the top 15.
After five years away from the stage, Quinn returned for two shows in 1999, ranking outside the top 15 at the Night of Champions and World Pro Championships. Once he stepped away for good, Quinn stayed involved with the sport from the outside until his final years.
Mike Quinn is survived by his mother and sister, among other family members.
Featured Image: @promightymikequinn on Instagram
